Authors:
S. N. LUTSUK, doctor of veterinary sciences, professor, head of the department,
M. E. PONOMARYOVA, candidate of veterinary sciences, associate professor,
Stavropol State Agrarian University (12 Zootehnicheskij l., 355000, Stavropol, e-mail: e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
Abstract. Babesiosis of horses – tick-borne diseases, the causative agents of which are blood parasites Babesia (Piroplasma) caballi and Babesia (Nuttallia, Theileria) equi, and vectors – pasture ticks. It is known that the transmission of parasites to foals can occur in 50–60 % of cases in mothers carriers of Theileria equi. However, the question of the morphological differences in the placenta rates of mares, who transmitted and not transmitted babesias to offspring, has been studied insufficiently. The aim of the work was to study the morphology of the placenta of babesia-carrier mares, who transmitted and did not transmitted babesia to their offspring. Samples of placenta of mares were examined, as well as peripheral blood smears from both mares and their foals. In all studied babesia-carrier mares the signs of inflammation and blood flow disorders in the placenta were detected, but only in six animals the transfer of babesia was recorded. At the same time, the most pronounced changes in the placenta were also noted in these animals. This group had a noticeable vascular blood flow, especially veins, red blood cells were aggregated, red blood clots, diapedesis. When comparing the results of morphological studies of the placenta of babesia-carrier mares, it can be noted, that the mares, who transmitted babesia to the offspring, developed an alterative exudative inflammation accompanied by the lesion of chorion and allantoamnion villi. Microcirculation of the placenta had disorders: congestive hyperemia, thrombosis. At the same time changes in the epithelium were observed both in the villi of the amnion and in the chorion, which are specific for hydrophylic dystrophy. Babesia-like inclusions, including in the form of «Maltese crosses», were found in the cytoplasm of monocytes and placental histiocytes. In placentas the mares, who did not pass the babesia to the offspring, mainly showed disorders of blood circulation, other changes were rare.
Keywords: morphology of placenta of horses, intrauterine infection with babesiosis, parasites of blood, parasitosis of animals, babesiosis of horses, tick-borne diseases, piroplasmidosis of horses, Babesia (Piroplasma) caballi, Babesia (Nuttallia) equi.
